It is known to provide cargo carriers of the above-mentioned type in which the container is movable to an inoperative out-of-the-way position so as to enable the vehicle user to have access to the rear trunk or hatch door of the vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,799 dated Aug. 13, 1996, inventor Ralph L. Didlake, entitled SWING AWAY CARGO CARRIER ASSEMBLY, the carrier 20 for a cargo container is laterally swingable from an operative position at the back of the vehicle to a side position in which the carrier and the container mounted thereon extend over the side of the vehicle so as to form an obstruction to the passage of other vehicles. Furthermore, the weight of the cargo exerts a downward force at the outer end of a transverse arm secured to the centrally mounted hitch receiver tube, thereby producing considerable torsion on the latter which might result in its breakage.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,702 dated Dec. 24, 1996, inventor William R. Slader, entitled VEHICLE CARGO CARRIER, there is also described a container carrier which is supported by the centrally mounted receiver hitch tube of a vehicle and in which the carrier frame is longitudinally movable from an advanced position close to the back of the vehicle to a rearmost position to gain access to the vehicle hatch door or trunk lid. For this purpose, the carrier frame is telescopically mounted on a support member which requires expensive roller bearings indicated at 47A and 47B to reduce frictional resistance.
Furthermore, in its limit rearward position, the loaded cargo container exerts a considerable downward torque on the hitch receiver tube of the vehicle which might result in its breakage.
There is also known bicycle containers such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,883 dated Apr. 5, 1983, inventor Joseph G. Profeta, entitled BICYCLE CARRYING CASE and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,190 dated Jan. 9, 1990, inventor Charles B. Delgado, entitled BICYCLE CASE. However, the containers described in these patents can only contain a single bicycle in partially disassembled state. These containers are therefore not designed to house several bicycles disposed side by side and in fully assembled condition ready to be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,883 shows that the case can be supported at the back of a vehicle by a standard bike rack. However, such a carrier could not support a case containing several bicycles since the weight would be too great.